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第59章

the higher learning in america-第59章

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insistence。 The reason is that the businesslike management and



arrangements in question are habitually  and primarily required



either to serve the ends of this competitive campaign of



publicity or to conform to its schedule of expediency。 The felt



need of notoriety and prestige has a main share in shaping the



work and bearing of the university at every point。 Whatever will



not serve this end of prestige has no secure footing in current



university policy。 The margin of tolerance on this head is quite



narrow; and it is apparently growing incontinently narrower。



    So far as any university administration can; with the



requisite dignity; permit itself to avow a pursuit of notoriety;



the gain that is avowedly sought by its means is an increase of



funds;  more or less ingenuously spoken of as an increase of



equipment。 An increased enrolment of students will be no less



eagerly sought after; but the received canons of academic decency



require this object to be kept even more discreetly masked than



the quest of funds。



    The duties of publicity are large and arduous; and the



expenditures incurred in this behalf are similarly considerable。



So that it is not unusual to find a Publicity Bureau  often



apologetically masquerading under a less tell…tale name 



incorporated in the university organization to further this



enterprise in reputable notoriety。 Not only must a creditable



publicity be provided for; as one of the running cares of the



administration; but every feature of academic life; and of the



life of all members of the academic staff; must unremittingly



(though of course unavowedly) be held under surveillance at every



turn; with a view to furthering whatever may yield a reputable



notoriety; and to correcting or eliminating whatever may be



conceived to have a doubtful or untoward bearing in this respect。



    This surveillance of appearances; and of the means of



propagating appearances; is perhaps the most exacting detail of



duty incumbent on an enterprising executive。 Without such a



painstaking cultivation of a reputable notoriety; it is believed;



a due share of funds could not be procured by any university for



the prosecution of its work as a seminary of the higher learning。



Its more alert and unabashed rivals; it is presumed; would in



that case be able to divert the flow of loose funds to their own



use; and would so outstrip their dilatory competitor in the race



for size and popular acclaim; and therefore; it is sought to be



believed; in scientific and scholarly application。



    In the absence of all reflection  not an uncommon frame of



mind in this connection  one might be tempted to think that all



this academic enterprise of notoriety and conciliation should add



something appreciable to the aggregate of funds placed at the



disposal of the universities; and that each of these competitive



advertising concerns should so gain something appreciable;



without thereby cutting into the supply of funds available for



the rest。 But such is probably not the outcome; to any



appreciable extent; assuredly not apart from the case of the



state universities that are dependent on the favour of local



politicians; and perhaps apart from gifts for conspicuous



buildings。



    With whatever (slight) reservation may be due; publicity in



university management is of substantially the same nature and



effect as advertising in other competitive business; and with



such reservation as may be called for in the case of other



advertising; it is an engine of competition; and has no aggregate



effect。 As is true of competitive gains in business at large; so



also these differential gains of the several university



corporations can not be added together to make an aggregate。 They



are differential gains in the main; of the same nature as the



gains achieved in any other game of skill and effrontery。 The



gross aggregate funds contributed to university uses from all



sources would in all probability be nearly as large in the



absence of such competitive notoriety and conformity。 Indeed; it



should seem likely that such donors as are gifted with sufficient



sense of the value of science and scholarship to find it worth



while to sink any part of their capital in that behalf would be



somewhat deterred by the spectacle of competitive waste and



futile clamour presented by this academic enterprise; so that the



outcome might as well be a diminution of the gross aggregate of



donations and allowances。 But such an argument doubtless runs on



very precarious grounds; it is by no means evident that these



munificent patrons of learning habitually distinguish between



scholarship and publicity。 But in any case it is quite safe to



presume that to the cause of learning at large; and therefore to



the community in respect of its interest in the advancement of



learning; no appreciable net gain accrues from this competitive



publicity of the seats of learning。



    In some slight; or doubtful; degree this competitive



publicity; including academic pageants; genteel solemnities; and



the like; may conceivably augment the gross aggregate means



placed at the disposal of the universities; by persuasively



keeping the well…meaning men of wealth constantly in mind of the



university's need of additional funds; as well as of the fact



that such gifts will not be allowed to escape due public notice。



But the aggregate increase of funds due to these endeavours is



doubtless not large enough to offset the aggregate expenditure on



notoriety。 Taken as a whole; and counting in all the wide…ranging



expenditure entailed by this enterprise in notoriety and the



maintenance of academic prestige; university publicity doubtless



costs appreciably more than it brings。 So far as it succeeds in



its purpose; its chief effect is to divert the flow of funds from



one to another of the rival establishments。 In the aggregate this



expedient for procuring means for the advancement of learning



doubtless results in an appreciable net loss。



    The net loss; indeed; is always much more considerable than



would be indicated by any statistical showing; for this academic



enterprise involves an extensive and almost wholly wasteful



duplication of equipment; personnel and output of instruction; as



between the rival seats of learning; at the same time that it



also involves an excessively parsimonious provision for actual



scholastic work; as contrasted with publicity; so also it



involves the overloading of each rival corps of instructors with



a heterogeneous schedule of courses; beyond what would conduce to



their best efficiency as teachers。 This competitive parcelment;



duplication and surreptitious thrift; due to a businesslike



rivalry between the several schools; is perhaps the gravest



drawback to the American university situation。



    It should be added that no aggregate gain for scholarship



comes of diverting any given student from one school to another



duplicate establishment by specious offers of a differential



advantage; particularly when; as frequently happens; the



differential inducement takes the form of the extra…scholastic



amenities spoken of in an earlier chapter; or the greater alleged



prestige of one school as against another; or; as also happens; a



surreptitiously greater facility for achieving a given academic



degree。



    In all its multifarious ways and means; university



advertising carried beyond the modicum that would serve a due



〃publicity of accounts〃 as regards the work to be done;



accomplishe

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